Oakland Police Department jobs attract thousands

ON THE EAST BAY

Oakland Mayor Jean Quan watches as members of the Oakland police department stand at attention during a I-580 freeway sign dedication ceremony in honor of fallen officers Sgt. Mark Dunakin, Sgt. Ervin Romans, Sgt. Daniel Sakai and Officer John Hege who died on duty in 2009 at the Police Administrative Building in Oakland, Calif. on Wednesday, March 21, 2012. less

Oakland Mayor Jean Quan watches as members of the Oakland police department stand at attention during a I-580 freeway sign dedication ceremony in honor of fallen officers Sgt. Mark Dunakin, Sgt. Ervin Romans, Sgt. Daniel Sakai and Officer John Hege who died on duty in 2009 at the Police Administrative Building in Oakland, Calif. on Wednesday, March 21, 2012. less

Remember the gloom and doom predictions from police union officials in 2011 about how a plan to impose a 10 percent salary cut for rookie officers would have a disastrous impact on the Oakland Police Department's recruitment and retention efforts?

Well, guess what?

There are at least 2,300 people who still consider $70,000 a year a pretty decent starting salary - even for what veteran police officers describe as one of the most dangerous police jobs in the nation.

Of those 2,300, Oakland extended an invitation to 1,800 to participate in the written exam. On Wednesday, more than 1,300 applicants showed up at the Oakland Marriott Hotel to take a 2 1/2 -hour test and vie for the chance to fill one of 55 coveted spots available in the department's first police academy in nearly four years.

The written test is the first step in the process toward acceptance to the police academy.

Applicants showed up from as far away as Georgia, Kentucky, Illinois and Texas - and from as close as the other side of town, said Cee Belue, manager of the Police Department's human resources department.

There were men and women of every make and model. They came from the suburbs and cities. It was like a combo plate at a restaurant - there was a small sampling of everything on display.

There were posers and wannabes of every gender, age group and ethnicity. There were candidates who looked like they'd just stepped in from central casting and others who appeared, on the face of things, to be way beyond their depth.

Kimberly Burton, 30, of Stockton was among more than a few candidates who said police work was a lifelong dream.

"It's almost like signing up on 'American Idol,' only you don't get famous if you win," she said.

Matt Mangels, also 30, of Walnut Creek said he wants to make a career change - from biotech to police work. "A lot of people have asked me why I'm doing this."

Friends and family are concerned for his safety but support his efforts, he said.

There was a healthy dose of ex-military men among the group, including several who had been on the merry-go-round of job applications for some time.

"This is the third time (taking the police test) for me, and when I saw the crowd today, I almost walked out," said a Modesto man, who said he worked as a corrections officer.

The idea that the department cannot find 55 qualified recruits from a field of this size and depth seems almost impossible to fathom. The new recruitment effort also marks a significant turning point in Oakland's ability to employ an adequate minimum number of officers in an effort to increase public safety.

Since 2010, the department has lost more than 100 officers to budget cuts and attrition - and the city has suspended a requirement that the department maintain a minimum of just over 800 sworn police officers. Currently, Oakland has 657 sworn officers in the department.

The primary obstacle in the city's efforts to fulfill the mandate for an adequately staffed police force has been the sky-high cost of police services. Before the budget showdown that resulted in layoffs to help close a budget gap of $42 million, the average annual cost of an Oakland police officer's annual pay and benefits package was $188,000.

Under the new agreement between the city and union officials from the Oakland Police Officer's Association, new officers are hired under a system that extends the retirement age up to 55 from 50 and requires all officers to contribute 9 percent to their own pensions.

For some hopeful recruits, it's not the money as much as it is a personal knowledge of what it's like to grow up on the proverbial wrong side of the tracks.

Athletics carried barrel-chested Joe Briscoe, 25, from the streets of Compton to Northern California to a bachelor of arts degree and to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

"I grew up in the inner city, and I just want to help," said Briscoe as he left the testing area.

Despite his wife's fears, East Oakland resident Reggie Wooden, 42, showed up determined to pass the test on this, his second attempt.

"We can't live in a city where a 3-year-old can be shot down," he said. "This is my way of trying to make a difference."